Grate



Jan. 2, 1934. .1. s. THOMPSON GRATE Filed Aug. 19, 1930 INVEN J, M, M 41 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 2, 1934 UNITED STATES GRATE James S. Thompson, New Rochelle, N. Y., as-

signor, by mesne assignments, to Waugh Equipment Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Maine Application August 19, 1930. Serial No. 476,263

15 Claims.

This invention relates to grate bars especially adapted for heavy duty purposes as in locomotives, boiler furnaces, and the like, and it is concerned more particularly with a grate bar which includes a carrier and a plurality of fuel-supporting units extending beyond the lateral edges thereof and preferably loosely mounted thereon and having a limited degree of angular movement relative to the carrier when the latter is rocked during shaking or dumping operations.

The object of the present invention is to provide a grate bar of the general type above referred to in which the structure is strengthened and the total weight of the bar considerably re duced by reason of the units being made of different materials selected to give the proper strength with low weight. A part of each unit is made hollow to reduce the weight still further.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a grate bar constructed in accordance with this invention showing one unit in side elevation;

Figs. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views on the lines 2--2 and 3-3 respectively;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the grate bar; and

Fig. 5 is a partial sectionalview on the line 5-5 of Fi 1.

Referring now to the drawing, the grate bar in one form comprises a carrier member which includes a horizontal web 10 along the top of which extends an upstanding centering flange 11. From the lower surface of the web a strengthening rim 12 extends downwardly and the carrier is provided with a shaker arm 13 at a suitable point. At the ends of the carrier are. arms 14 provided with supporting means which may take the form of trunnions 15.

Mounted on the carrier are cross-bars, each of which consists of a solid top 16 and a hollow bottom 17. The bottom is preferably made of a pair of sheet steel plates provided with edge flanges 18 on their lateral and bottom edges, these plates being placed with their flanges in contact and secured together in any suitable manner, as, for example, by welding the flanges. The solid top 16 of each unit is made of cast metal and projecting from the sides of the top are spaced lugs 19 which define air passages 20 between them, The top of each lug terminates in a fuel-supporting projection 21 sub-divided by intersecting air channels 22 and 23 into a plurality of minor projections 24 having flat tops which support the fuel. Preferably the minor projectionsare arranged in groups of four with two of each group lying above a lug- 16 and the other two above the main body of the top adjacent the lug.

The hollow bottom member of the unit is shaped to overlap the lower edge of the top, and the latter has a portion 25 which is received within the hollow bottom near the top edge thereof. Preferably the plates of which the hollow bottom is formed are provided with hollow lugs 26 along their upper edge which correspond in shape and position to the lower ends of the lugs 16 and along the upper edge of each plate are openings 27 through which projections 28 from the solid top may enter to lock the top and plates together. At the mid-point of the unit, the plates are, provided with upstanding tongues 29 which extend across the solid top to the bottoms of the projections 21, these tongues strengthening the unit at its middle.

The plates are formed with a recess 30 in their lower edge, the shape of which corresponds gen erally to the cross-sectional shape of the carrier, and at the entrance to the recess on either side thereof are locking projections or lugs 31. During the shaking of the grate bar, the units have an angular movement relative to the carrier as a consequence of which one or the other of the lugs 31 moves into contact with the under surface of the web 10 limiting the relative angular movement and locking the units to the carrier.

It will be seen that with the construction described a large part of each unit is made hollow and the plates which constitute the hollow bottom are of relatively light construction so that the substitution of the plates for a bottom of cast metal greatly reduces the weight of the unit. In addition, the plates serve as a reinforcing means. With a solid cast unit, it occasionally happens in service that the unit is fractured across near the narrowest part of the unit, and when this occurs the two halves fall from the carrier into the ash pan. With the present construction, should a fracture in the solid top occur during service, the two halves of the top will be supported by the bottom plates and there will be no separation of the parts of the top which would result in the unit falling from the carrier to leave a hole in the grate surface.

The production of the new units is a relatively simple matter, the plates which constitute the hollow bottom being formed of sheet metal by a stamping process, united together, for example, by welding, and then placed in the mold in which the solid top is to be cast. In the-casting operation, the plates and top are rigidly connected by the projections 28 from the top entering the openings in the plates, and a portion of the solid top extends for a substantial distance into the space between the plates.

What I claim:

1. In a grate bar, a fuel-supporting unitof plate form having a solid metal top and a hollow bottom of sheet stock, said top having a portion lying within said bottom and in contact with the inner walls thereof, said portion and said bottom having integral interengaging parts permanently anchoring said top and bottom together.

2. In a grate bar, a fuel-supporting unit of plate form having a solidmetal top and a hollow bottom portion made up of a pair of plates of sheet stock defininga chamber between them,said bottom portion having a recess extending upward from its lower edge for the reception of a carrier member.

3. In a grate bar, a fuel-supporting unit having a solid metal top, and a bottom portion made up of a pair of plates of sheet metal having a space between them, each plate overlapping the lower edge of the top and contacting with one face thereof, said bottom portion having an opening for the reception of a carrier member.

4. In a grate bar, a fuel-supporting unit having a solid top, and a bottom portion made up of a pair of plates of sheet stock having portions overlapping said top on opposite sides thereof and connected to said top and having flanges along their side and bottom edges, said flanges contacting and being connected together and said bottom portion having an opening for reception of a carrier bar, the walls of said opening being defined at least in part by said flanges.

5. In a grate bar, a fuel-supporting unit having a solid top portion, and a bottom portion made up of a pair of plates having a closed space between them, each plate having an extension therefrom extending substantially across said top portion to the upper surface thereof, and said bottom portion having an opening for receiving a supporting member, said extensions lying above said opening.

6. In a grate bar, a fuel-supporting unit having a solid top, and a bottom made up of a pair of plates, said top having a portion at its lower edge lying between and in contact with said plates at the top thereof, said portion and plates having integral interengaging parts permanently anchoring said top to said bottom, said plates being connected to each other elsewhere than at their top and being spaced apart through the major part of their extent and said bottom portion having a recess extending upward from its lower edge for reception of a carrier bar.

'7. In a grate bar, a fuel-supporting unit having a solid metal top, and a bottom made up of a pair of steel plates, said plates having portions at their tops contacting with the opposite faces of said top and secured thereto and said plates being formed to provide an opening forthe reception of a carrier bar.

8. In a grate bar, a fuel-supporting unit of plate form including a solid top portion having a row of spaced lugs extending vertically on at least one face thereof, and a hollow bottom portion :made up of a pair of plates spaced apart and connected only along certain of their edges, each plate overlapping one face of the top portion and having projections serving as extensions of said lugs.

9. A grate bar which comprises a-longitudinal .mounted thereon and-extending beyond at least one lateral edge thereof, each cross-bar having .a one-piece top of solid metal and a pair of plates overlapping the lower edge of said top and secured thereto, said plates being connected only along their edges and spaced elsewhere and said plates being formed with an opening for the reception of said carrier bar, said opening being defined at least in part by connected portions of the edges of said plates.

11. A grate bar which comprises a carrier member and-a plurality of fuel-supporting crossbars loosely mounted thereon, each cross-bar having a recess in which the carrier is received, the top of each cross-bar being of solid metal and the bottom being made up of a pair of spaced plates shaped to define the recess and connected along a part of their edges only to leave a space between them said plates beingspaced at their upper ends and the lower edge of the top of the cross-bar lying between and in contact with said plates at their upper ends, the lower edge of the top of the cross-bar and the spaced edges of said plates having integral interengaging parts anchoring said top and plates permanently together.

12. A grate bar which comprises a carrier member and a plurality of fuel-supporting crossbars loosely mounted thereon, each cross-bar having a recess in which the carrier is received, the top of each cross-bar being of solid metal and the bottom being made up of apair of spaced plates shaped to define the recess and connected along their edges only to leave a space between them, said plates being formed with spaced lugs at the entrance to said recess and lying below a portion of the carrier and alternately operative to prevent dislodgement of the cross-bar from the carrier on rocking movement of the grate bar in opposite directions, said cross-bar resting on said carrier member with portions of the wall of said recess contacting with said carrier member.

13. In a grate bar, a fuel-supporting unit which comprises a solid'fuel-supporting top and a hollow bottom made of a pair of plates receiving the lower edge of said top between their upper edges, said plates having openings along their upper edges and said fuel-supporting top having projections along its lower edge which enter said openings and anchor the top and bottom permanently together, said plates having an opening therethrough for the reception of said supporting member.

14. In a grate bar, a fuel-supporting unit which comprises a solid metal top provided with spaced vertical lugs on opposite faces thereof and with spaced projections on its top for supporting fuel, and a bottom made up of a pair of plates which contact with the opposite faces of said top and are secured-thereto, said plates being spaced apart throughout except for having contacting flanges along their sides and lower gether along their edges except at the top thereof and being spaced to define a chamber between them, said plates being shaped to provide a recess extending upward from the lower edge of said bottom for reception of a carrier bar, the walls of said recess being formed by the connected edges of said plates.

JAMES S. THOMPSON. 

